


Bow to Your King.

by LunaFlammata



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: A bit of implied Anxciet and Prinxiety, Based off a comic, By Rondel, I expanded it, I simply want to respect your work, If they want me to take it down reach out, There's angst of course, a king au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25316173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaFlammata/pseuds/LunaFlammata
Summary: After the events of Putting others First, Roman becomes increasingly desperate, leading to a risky descision.  Things start to go wrong, and it seems as if evil has won.  Based off the comic by Rondel (tumblr).
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. The King arrives

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bow to Your King](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/649699) by Rondel. 



Roman’s footsteps echoed across the mindscape. Never enough. It was never enough. He was never enough for Thomas. He couldn’t defend him from the snake. If he couldn’t be Thomas’ hero, he did know who he was. He wasn’t enough. He had to find a way to be better. He had to protect Thomas from the snake. He had to defeat the snake. He gritted his teeth and ran deeper into the mindscape. There had to be something in here that could help him. He didn’t even know what he was looking for. He just wanted a way to take down that dirty, lying snake. He wiped the tears from his eyes. Hero’s didn’t cry. He was a prince for God’s sake. He was above this. “Kiddo, wait up!” Paton cried from behind him. Startled, Roman whirled around and drew his sword. “Oh. It’s just you.” Patton came to a stop in front of him, and Roman gave him a moment to catch his breath. “Kiddo, why are you running away?” “I’m not running away,” he said tensely. “Then what are you doing?” “That’s none of your business.” “Kiddo, I’m worried about you. You haven’t been acting like yourself ever since Janus told us his name!” “Are you crazy?! You're the ones who haven’t been acting like yourselves. He’s literally Deceit! He’s tried to foil you at every turn! He’s evil! How can you just forget that? How can you just pretend like it never happened?” “I haven’t forgotten, kiddo. I still remember. But I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s a side, just like you.” “I am nothing like that snake!” “You know that’s not what I meant.” “Well then what did you mean?! That we should side with evil?” Patton put his hand on the prince’s shoulder. “Of course not, kiddo. But Janus isn’t evil. Just like Virgil’s not evil.” Roman shrugged him off. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” He turned and began walking in the other direction. “Don’t try to stop me. I’m doing this for Thomas. I’m doing this for all of you.” He ran deeper into the mindscape. He thought he heard Patton’s footsteps echoing behind him, but when he turned around, there was no one there.  
As he plunged further into the depths of the imagination, the scenery around him became darker and more grotesque. He must have been at the edge of Remus’s territory. Instinctively, he began to change course to avoid his brother’s room, but upon second thought, realized he might find something useful. He plunged deeper into the mountainous swamp, and before long, heard the sounds of a morning star hitting rock. He ignored it. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. He came to a clearing, surrounded by craggy boulders, and half destroyed trees. Remus was standing in the center of the clearing, morning star in hand, chest heaving. Roman stopped dead in his tracks. Something had just occurred to him. He was never enough, but maybe...Remus turned around and noticed him staring. Roman didn’t say anything, but Remus seemed to know what he was thinking. It was probably twin telepathy, or something like that, but he didn’t care. Roman took a step towards his brother, and both of them dropped their weapons. They reached out. Patton leapt out from behind a rock. “Roman! No!” But it was too late. Their fingers brushed, and there was a blinding flash of light as the two sides were pulled together. Patton was knocked off balance and fell to his knees. When the light cleared, there was one person where there had been two.   
“No. It can’t be.” Romulus extended his hand, and examined his fingers. He hadn’t noticed Patton yet. Thoughts raced through his mind. There was a reason they had split Romulus apart. Of course, Remus and Roman had changed a lot over the years, maybe Romulus would be different too. But Patton tried not to get his hopes up. Last time, he had helped to split the two, but he had needed Janus and Virgil’s help. He wasn’t sure he could do it alone. “It’s good to be back. It’s been what? 15 years?” Patton whimpered. Romulus noticed him for the first time. He glanced down at him and drew his sword, leveling it at Patton’s chest. “There you go,” he said with a smile. “Bow to your king.”


	2. The King's Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Logan search for thier missing comrade, but find find an evil presense instead.

Virgil trailed behind Logan, trying not to worry about Roman. The prince had probably just gone to spar with some fantastical creature and had lost track of time. Of course, Patton wasn’t back yet either. He had probably just gotten distracted along the way. Virgil wrung his hands, and tried not to think of all the things that could go wrong. Logan glanced back at him. “There is no need to worry Virgil. I assure you there is an 80% chance nothing happened and Roman simply lost track of time.” “Yeah, but what about the other 20%? He could have lost a fight with the Manticore-Chimera, he could’ve wandered into Remus’ territory, he could have-” “Virgil, stop worrying. You are expending needless energy on something that is very unlikely. Roman is fine.” Virgil nodded. Logan turned back and they continued walking. Despite what Logan had said, Virgil continued to worry. Something felt off, and no matter how hard he tried to, he couldn’t shake the feeling. He was so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't even noticed that Logan had stopped. He rammed into him, and stumbled back. “Sorry.” “It’s quite alright. Just pay more attention next time.” Logan turned back. “So you can’t find him either? That is quite unsettling.” “Can’t find who?” “Remus,” someone said from in front of Logan. He moved aside to reveal Janus. Virgil hissed and leapt back. “That seems like a bit of an overreaction, Virgil.” “Yeah, well you’re not reacting enough! This is Deceit we’re talking about! He probably did something with Roman!” “I very much doubt that Janus did something with Roman. That does not seem probable.” “That’s right Virgil,” the snake said, extending his hand with a slight smile. “You can trust me.” Virgil shoved the hand out of the way. “Like I’d ever-wait, Logan, did you just call him Janus?” “Of course I did. That is his name.” Virgil turned back to Janus, eyebrows raised. “You told them your name?” “Like I said, you can trust me. I am not the villain.” Virgil snorted. “Whatever. Let’s just find them.”

They continued to press deeper into the mindscape. “What do you mean Remus is gone too?” By now they were at the edge of the Duke’s territory. It was unusually quiet for Remus’s area of the imagination. “Kiddos?” a voice called out faintly. Logan recognized it instantly. “Patton, did you find them?” The three turned around to see Patton, his arms bound to his chest by the tattered remains of his cardigan. A figure held him off the ground by the back of his collar. “Kind of,” Patton said with a cough. The figure shoved Patton to the ground and Logan caught him. The figure stepped forward, and Logan had to resist the urge to take a step back. He had to look strong. “King,” he growled. He tried to figure a way out of the situation. Romulus was bad news. Of course it had been a great many years since the split. Both the individual sides had changed and evolved a great deal over that time. The chances were very slim, but it was still worth a shot. “What is your business here?” “Merely to bring a new order.” He smirked. “Since I’m back for good.” Logan gritted his teeth. This was bad. He had to separate them now. “There won’t be any new order.” He let Janus take Patton and stood up to face Romulus. “You don’t belong here.” Romulus threw back his head and laughed, as if what Logan had said was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Did you hear him?” Romulus asked the other sides. “Hilarious indeed!” He smiled slyly, as if he had just thought of something brilliant. Logan stepped in front of the others protectively. “Who knew your last words would be such a...falsehood?” Romulus said. He snapped his fingers. Logan tried to defend himself, but found he couldn’t say anything. Patton put his hand on Logan’s shoulder. This couldn’t be happening. If he didn’t have his voice, he couldn’t protect Thomas. He couldn’t arm him with knowledge. In one fell swoop, Romulus had rendered him completely useless. “We don’t want you to spoil any fun, now do we?” the king said with a condescending smile. He turned to face Patton. “Now, Morality.” He seemed to linger on the word, almost mocking it. Patton whimpered softly. Logan wanted to tell him that it wasn’t a good idea to show weakness in front of Romulus, but his voice still wasn’t working. Romulus glowered at Patton. “You were so cute as a baby. Let’s make it so it stays that way.” Romulus raised his hand, and Patton stepped back nervously. Once again the king snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light, and Patton’s glasses fell to the ground, breaking instantly. When Logan was able to see again, a baby sat in a pile of clothes that had once belonged to Patton. “Oh my God, Patton!” Virgil said, alarmed. Gently, Logan wrapped the sweater around Baby Patton, and picked him up.

Once he saw that Patton was ok, Virgil stepped forward, his teeth gritted. He felt his powers seeping through, and he started to let them. He had to put a stop to this now. “Ok, that’s enough!” Logan raised his hands and tried to warn him off, but he didn’t care if he angered Romulus. He was done. No one went after Patton and got away with it. “Cut the bull you two!” His hands curled into fists, and he took another step forward. “What is this, some kind of revenge for something?” King turned to him, and Virgil almost backed away. He had never seen such clear hatred before. “You. So invisible, I almost forgot you existed,” Romulus said with a slight chuckle. “But I still remember how you shot down every brilliant idea.” Virgil shrank, but refused to back down. “Thinking you know what’s best. Restraining the full potential of creativity.” Virgil raised his fists, ready for whatever punishment Romulus tried to dish out. “I have to say you impressed me.” Virgil’s fists dropped slightly, taken aback by the compliment. “What?” Romulus smiled, and Virgil raised his fists once again. He couldn’t afford to let his guard drop. “Your own ideas are far better anyway.” Virgil sensed the trap, but had no clue what Romulus meant. “Therefore...” There was another snap, and suddenly Virgil’s outfit changed. He was in a suit much like Romulus’s, only his was dark black. A deep purple sash ran across his chest. He tugged at the sash, but it wouldn’t come off. He wondered what kind of horrible punishment Romulus had in store for him. “I appoint you my creative minister.” The confusion must have shown on Virgil’s face, because Romulus smiled at him patronizingly. “From now on,” he said, savoring it. “Every bad thought of yours will come to life.” Virgil’s eyes widened. He was the literal embodiment of bad thoughts. As his anxiety began to spike, every negative thought he’d ever had flooded into his head. Whispers started from all around him, and he covered his ears, trying to block them out. “Have fun,” Romulus said. “And do what you are best at doing.” “No no no no no.” Virgil kept repeating the word as if simply denying their existence would make the whispers go away, but he was powerless.

Janus stared as the shadows around them deepened. In Logan’s arms, Patton began to cry. Cleary whatever Virgil was creating scared the now younger side. He had of course dealt with Virgil losing control of his powers like this back when he was a Dark Side, but it had never been this intense. It was starting to unsettle him. He wanted to comfort the other side, to calm him down, but he knew Virgil wouldn’t trust him enough to let him do that. He forced himself to focus on the issue at hand. He would have to take care of Virgil later. Logan handed Patton to him, and went to comfort Virgil. Romulus turned to Janus. “You’re the last one.” Janus steeled himself, ready to try and talk his way out of the situation. “You’re Denial, right?” He resisted the urge to glance over at Logan. “It’s Deceit.” He didn’t need this ridiculous upstart to ruin his attempts to fit in. Romulus snorted. “Actually, I will spare you.” Janus did his best not to let the surprise show on his face. Logan glanced up in surprise before turning his attention back to Virgil. “Try to deny this all you want,” Romulus said, mocking him. “But without them, you’re as good as mute.” Janus gritted his teeth. As long as he still had his powers, surely there was something he could do. “Enjoy this delectable helplessness. A gift,” he smiled triumphantly. “From your king.”


	3. How did this happen?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more insight into Roman's psyche leading up to the return of Romulus

How had this happen? How could this have possibly happened? Even Roman couldn’t be this desperate. Logan knew that Roman hadn’t been in the greatest shape after Janus had revealed his name, but surely that couldn’t have pushed him this far over the edge. Of course Roman didn’t know what his former self had truly been like. It was possible that he thought he had been doing the right thing. Of course it was possible that Roman thought he was doing the right thing even if he knew how cruel The King was. Logan sighed, still getting used to the fact that he could no longer speak. He wondered if there were any signs he should've seen. It was only logical that he was responsible for managing any problems that might pop up with the various sides. He remembered a conversation he had had with Roman, a few days after Patton had accepted Janus.

“I just don’t know, Logan!” “Know what? Please finish your sentences, Roman.” “I thought I was doing the right thing by being nice to him. I mean, you all told me off for being mean to Virgil. But When I was nice to that lying snake, you all told me off. So then I tried to fix it, right?” Logan nodded. “So I tried to tell him he wasn’t welcome with the rest of us, and then Patton told me off for that!” Logan agreed half-heartedly, not bothering to look up from his work. “Why can’t things just be simple?” “Well, morals themselves are complicated,” Logan said. “And it only gets more so when you throw in human emotions and thoughts. That is why I don’t feel things. They complicate my work.” “Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re a robot,” Roman said with a wave of his hand. He continued to pace back and forth. “And I know Patton’s complicated! I wouldn’t want him to be any other way! I just wish I could understand what he wants from me! Does he want me to be nice to everyone, or does he want me to try to protect Thomas from the Dark Sides?!” “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that. Patton does have a history of having a double standard on moral issues, and on walking back on his previous beliefs. I believe you should simply try to hold on. If Janus has something more sinister in store, I assure you I will catch it before he can hurt Thomas.” “Yeah, I know. And if he tries anything, I’ll take him down. But Patton trusts him. And I don’t understand how he can just blindly give into that snake's demands! He’s the literal embodiment of Deceit! We can’t trust him!” “Well, if you seem to think that we all trust him, I can assure you Virgil still holds a grudge against Janus.” “Yeah, but they have history! It’s only a matter on time before Deceit wins him over too! I mean you all seem to blindly go along with whatever he tells you!” “I am not ‘blindly going along’ with him as you put it. I am simply giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. I don't believe any side is beyond redemption. But they will never achieve it if no one gives them the chance.” “But what if he doesn’t deserve it?!” “Perhaps he doesn’t, but we can’t know that for sure.” Roman nodded. “Maybe.” Logan closed his notebook, giving up on the notion that he would get any kind of work done. “What are you planning to do?” Roman stood up, fingers curled around the hilt of his sword. “I’m going to prove that he’s up to something. And I’m going to stop him.” “And if it turns out he had no ulterior motive?” “He’s up to something.” Roman said, and marched out.

Logan sighed once again. He had to admit that there was probably more he could have done to convince Roman to give Janus a chance. In a way, he supposed this whole mess was at least partially his fault. He figured there was probably a way he could have prevented this, but knowing Roman, that was highly unlikely. He pushed his glasses up, and set out into the mindscape. Surely, there was some way to separate Romulus. He just had to find it.


	4. Things Get Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That title is pretty self explainatory.

Virgil focused on taking deep breaths. He had dealt with this before. He had lost control of his powers a couple of times back when he had been one of The Others. He could control the story. He closed his eyes, and ignored the sounds. After a minute, he had almost managed complete silence. He was getting better at shutting the thoughts down. The next step was to learn to harness it. If he could control it, then surely he would be able to create something to take down Romulus. He took in another deep breath. “Control the story” his mind whispered, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Janus’. A wail broke his concentration, and the whispers came cascading back around him. He opened his eyes reluctantly and glanced down at Patton. The toddler had been the one who had cried out. Virgil had no idea how he had ended up taking care of the other side. He was worried about Logan. He knew he could take care of himself, but Virgil was still anxious. His biggest worry was that Romulus would catch him. He supposed that was the best thing about his new position. It was easier to keep an eye on the king. Patton wailed again, and Virgil picked him up. “What’s wrong, Pat?” He glanced behind him, where Patton was frantically pointing.

Romulus loomed over him, his gaze stern and curious. “What do you have for me today, Virgil?” “N-nothing yet, sir. I-I’m still trying to control it.” Virgil did his best not to let his hands shake. He couldn’t give anything away. He was the only side who was doing something. He couldn’t risk getting caught. “I would have thought that Paranoia would know how to control his own powers.” He gritted his teeth at his old title. “I’m not Paranoia anymore. I changed.” “Sure you did, Virgil.” Romulus turned to leave. “Continue working. I gave you this job for a reason. Don’t make it so that I regret sparing you.” Virgil swallowed. “Yes sir,” he said through gritted teeth. As Romulus left, Virgil called out, “Why did you spare Janus?” Romulus turned to look back at him. “What?” “Why did you spare Janus?” “I did no such thing.” “You did. You just let him go. I thought you were doing all this because you wanted revenge.” “That may have been why your precious Roman did this, but it is hardly my goal.” “He’s not my precious anything,” Virgil muttered under his breath. “I don’t see why you should care about that snake however. I do know of your falling out.” “I don’t care about Janus. I guess I’m just curious. You punished the light sides so horribly, but you just let him off the hook.” Romulus seemed to consider it. “Do you really think so?” Virgil didn’t say anything. “I suppose you’re right. I did let him off rather easily. Perhaps I should reconsider.” “N-no, that’s not what I meant at all.” Romulus smiled at him coldly. “Thank you. I will certainly have to give some thought to his punishment.” “I-I really don’t think that’s necessary!” “You do not decide that.” Virgil shrank. “Continue your work.” “Yes sir.”

Once Romulus’ footsteps had faded completely, Virgil sank to the floor and buried his face in his arms. The whispers started again, but they didn’t really bother him this time. The guilty whispers in his own head were louder anyways. He hated the snake, sure. He had honestly wished he could borrow Roman’s sword on more than one occasion. But he had never wanted to set someone like Romulus loose on Janus. His fingers started tapping frantically against his knees. “What do I do? What do I do?” he muttered under his breath. He had just set the worst side loose on Janus. If the dumb snake got hurt, it would be his fault! He smacked the heel of his hand against the side of his head. “C’mon, think, Virgil!” he growled. “This should be old hat. You were able to protect Thomas. You should be able to protect Janus!” His stupid brain still refused to yield any ideas. He banged his head against his knees. A bolt of pain shot through his temples, but he ignored it. “Come on, think!” he growled at himself. “You used to be Paranoia for God’s sake! Surely your stupid brain can come up with an idea.” He wished he had someone with him. Logan probably would have come up with an idea by now. Of course, Logan wouldn’t have convinced Romulus to go after Janus in the first place. Roman would have come up with some grandiose over complicated plan that somehow managed to work. At this point, he even would have taken Patton. He glanced down at the toddler happily wandering around the room. Well, an adult Patton, he silently amended. He would have even taken Remus. Once again, Virgil buried his face in his arms. He had to face the truth. Without the others, he was useless. As if he had been reading his thoughts, Patton toddled over to him, and playfully bumped his head on Virgil’s shins. “Not now, Pat,” he said absentmindedly, but he couldn’t stop the faint smile from spreading. He sat brainstorming for a few more minutes, before something occurred to him. He did his best to shove it down. That was a worst-case scenario option. He would not go to the snake. He had left The Others. He couldn’t trust them. He couldn’t trust Janus. Patton bumped his head against Virgil’s shins once again. “Warn.” Patton said. “What! No! If I went to him, I’d be admitting defeat!” “Warn!” Patton repeated more sternly this time. “No!” Virgil said with equal force. “There’s gotta be some other solution I’ve overlooked!” “Warn!” Patton yelled. “NO!” Virgil yelled back. Patton shrank back at the harshness in his voice. Virgil sighed. He was so useless. He couldn’t even stop himself from yelling at Patton. He pulled his knees closer to his chest. “Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid” he berated himself. He wished Roman were here. He could really use the pep talk. Or even the stupid nicknames. Slowly he raised his head. Roman was here. At least in part. The beginnings of a plan started to form. It was crazy risky, and there was almost no chance it would work. “Roman would love it.” At the very least, it was better than going back to that snake.


	5. "I'm sorry"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil goes to confront Romulus.

Virgil slipped through the forest. Romulus had chosen to hole up in the middle of the imagination, in between Remus’ and Roman’s territory. Hopefully, it was a sign the two sides were still in there. Suddenly, something came barreling across his path. Virgil didn’t get a good look, but he knew what it was. It had been Logan, on the end of Romulus’ sword. “Holy-” Patton batted at his face, irritated. “Right, language. Sorry.” He glanced to the side of the path where Logan had fallen. There was nothing. It had just been an illusion. Silently, he finished his colorful tirade about the new “gift” The King had given him. Virgil kinda wished it had come with a gift receipt. He would have returned it immediately. Patton swatted him gently on the back of the head. “Plan!” He nodded, and continued to trudge through the woods.

After a moment, he was at Romulus’ throne. He hesitated a minute, and Patton swatted him once again. Right, he had a mission. With a sigh, he squared his shoulders, and marched into the clearing. Romulus didn’t even bother to glance back at him. “What is troubling you, young one?” Virgil scuffed his foot against the ground awkwardly. “I-I wanted to talk to Roman.” This time, Romulus, did turn to look at him. Virgil quickly glanced down, and refused to meet his eyes. “Wanted to say a few words actually.” He paused, but when Romulus didn’t say anything, he barreled ahead. “I’m sorry. You always apologized, and did your best to make me feel included...” he snorted. “Eventually.” “And I-” his voice broke, and his shoulders sagged with regret. “I never said sorry for all of my mean comments. I can’t imagine how much of this has already piled up. And I-I just wanted you to know, I regret it all.” There was silence for a minute. Virgil had planned to come to Romulus with some big declaration of his undying friendship, the kind of stupid, sappy thing Roman would come up with. Pouring his heart out hadn’t been part of the plan. Romulus turned around fully to face him. Slowly he smiled, almost mockingly. “That was adorable.” He leaned in closer to Virgil, and the younger side forced himself to meet Romulus’ eyes. “Adorably unnecessary.” Virgil startled, and Romulus’ grin widened. It was definitely a mocking smile now. “Because Roman doesn’t exist anymore.” Virgil’s eyes widened. He began to panic. There was no way. Romulus had to be lying. He had risked everything on this. There was no other option! “Stop,” he told himself. “Panicking won’t help. Panic later. Take care of this now.” With a great deal of effort, he managed to push his worry down. The King turned away with a swish of his cape. “You’re guilt is very unwelcome,” King said, with a wave of his hand, dismissing him. “So unless you can create something out of it, as you’re king, I command you to be rid of it.” Virgil bowed his head in defeat. “Right.” He slunk back to the edge of the treeline, and picked up Patton. The toddler stared at him confused. “Plan?” Virgil shook his head ruefully. “Plan didn’t work, Pat. Shouldn’t have expected it to. Roman and his goddamn ego!” He slammed his foot into the ground. “I can’t believe this! I can’t believe you would all be stupid enough to trust Janus! And then I can’t believe Roman would think bringing back Romulus would be a good idea! And I can’t believe I’m the one who set Romulus after Janus! I can’t believe I’m so useless!” By now, he was shouting. Slowly, he sank to the ground. “I’m so freaking useless.” After a while, Patton started batting at his face again. “Not now, Popstar. I’m wallowing.” Patton continued, and when Virgil still refused to look up, began to shout in his ear. Vigil jumped nearly a foot in the air, and almost dropped Patton. “Ow, Pat, what was that for?” “Warn.” “No! I’m not gonna admit defeat to Janus of all people.” Patton’s brow furrowed. “Warn!” With a sigh, Virgil stood up. “Just so you know, I’m not doing this because you told me to. I’m not even doing this because I care about Janus. I’m just doing this cause I don’t want Romulus to win.” Patton stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at Virgil. “Seriously, it’s not.” “Warn.” Patton repeated. With a sigh, Virgil nodded and plunged into the woods.


	6. A Chat with the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil attempts to reason with Romulus, and attempts to get Roman back.

Virgil slipped through the forest. Romulus had chosen to hole up in the middle of the imagination, in between Remus’ and Roman’s territory. Hopefully, it was a sign the two sides were still in there. Suddenly, something came barreling across his path. Virgil didn’t get a good look, but he knew what it was. It had been Logan, on the end of Romulus’ sword. “Holy-” Patton batted at his face, irritated. “Right, language. Sorry.” He glanced to the side of the path where Logan had fallen. There was nothing. It had just been an illusion. Silently, he finished his colorful tirade about the new “gift” The King had given him. Virgil kinda wished it had come with a gift receipt. He would have returned it immediately. Patton swatted him gently on the back of the head. “Plan!” He nodded, and continued to trudge through the woods.

After a moment, he was at Romulus’ throne. He set Patton down at the base of a tree, and turned back to Romulus. He hesitated a minute, and Patton swatted him once again. Right, he had a mission. With a sigh, he squared his shoulders, and marched into the clearing. Romulus didn’t even bother to glance back at him. “What is troubling you, young one?” Virgil scuffed his foot against the ground awkwardly. “I-I wanted to talk to Roman.” This time, Romulus, did turn to look at him. Virgil quickly glanced down, and refused to meet his eyes. “Wanted to say a few words actually.” He paused, but when Romulus didn’t say anything, he barreled ahead. “I’m sorry. You always apologized, and did your best to make me feel included...” he snorted. “Eventually.” “And I-” his voice broke, and his shoulders sagged with regret. “I never said sorry for all of my mean comments. I can’t imagine how much of this has already piled up. And I-I just wanted you to know, I regret it all.” There was silence for a minute. Virgil had planned to come to Romulus with some big declaration of his undying friendship, the kind of stupid, sappy thing Roman would come up with. Pouring his heart out hadn’t been part of the plan. Romulus turned around fully to face him. Slowly he smiled, almost mockingly. “That was adorable.” He leaned in closer to Virgil, and the younger side forced himself to meet Romulus’ eyes. “Adorably unnecessary.” Virgil startled, and Romulus’ grin widened. It was definitely a mocking smile now. “Because Roman doesn’t exist anymore.” Virgil’s eyes widened. He began to panic. There was no way. Romulus had to be lying. He had risked everything on this. There was no other option! “Stop,” he told himself. “Panicking won’t help. Panic later. Take care of this now.” With a great deal of effort, he managed to push his worry down. The King turned away with a swish of his cape. “You’re guilt is very unwelcome,” King said, with a wave of his hand, dismissing him. “So unless you can create something out of it, as you’re king, I command you to be rid of it.” Virgil bowed his head in defeat. “Right.” He slunk back to the edge of the treeline, and picked up Patton. The toddler stared at him confused. “Plan?” Virgil shook his head ruefully. “Plan didn’t work, Pat. Shouldn’t have expected it to. Roman and his goddamn ego!” He slammed his foot into the ground. “I can’t believe this! I can’t believe you would all be stupid enough to trust Janus! And then I can’t believe Roman would think bringing back Romulus would be a good idea! And I can’t believe I’m the one who set Romulus after Janus! I can’t believe I’m so useless!” By now, he was shouting. Slowly, he sank to the ground. “I’m so freaking useless.” After a while, Patton started batting at his face again. “Not now, Popstar. I’m wallowing.” Patton continued, and when Virgil still refused to look up, began to shout in his ear. Vigil jumped nearly a foot in the air, and almost dropped Patton. “Ow, Pat, what was that for?” “Warn.” “No! I’m not gonna admit defeat to Janus of all people.” Patton’s brow furrowed. “Warn!” With a sigh, Virgil stood up. “Just so you know, I’m not doing this because you told me to. I’m not even doing this because I care about Janus. I’m just doing this cause I don’t want Romulus to win.” Patton stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at Virgil. “Seriously, it’s not.” “Warn.” Patton repeated. With a sigh, Virgil nodded and plunged into the woods.


	7. Warn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil goes to warn Janus of Romulus' plans, but things don't go quite how he expected them to.

Virgil hesitated a minute before knocking on the door. Even if he and Janus weren’t on good terms, he still deserved to know that the king had changed his mind. He just had to make sure Janus knew this wasn’t because he cared about the stupid snake. He waited a moment, but there was no response from inside. He tested the handle, and saw that it was unlocked. He pushed it open, and it creaked softly. “Janus?” he called out. There was no answer. Virgil started to panic. What if Romulus had gotten to him first? What if he was already gone? He forced himself to take a deep breath. Panicking wasn’t going to help anything. Besides, Janus wasn’t worth it. He stepped into the hallway, and saw that the rest of the room was pitch black. He pushed in deeper, and soon saw that one room was lit faintly. It was the living room. There was a single candle burning on the coffee table. Next to it was an empty glass of wine. Janus was sprawled out on the couch. Virgil sighed and tapped his shoulder. Janus swatted at him. “Go away, Virgil. Leave me alone. Again. I don’t want to talk to traitors like you.” “You really think I want to talk to a lying snake like you?” Janus snorted. “Then why are you here? Finally get bored of being that little upstart’s servant?” he sneered “I am not his servant! I’m just trying to protect you guys.” “Oh, yeah? How’s that working out for you?” Virgil gritted his teeth and didn’t respond. “You know, if you actually cared about us, you wouldn’t have left.” “If you actually cared about me, I wouldn’t have needed to leave!” “Oh, that’s right, play the victim card, just like always.” “That’s right, pretend you’re the innocent little lamb just like always!” Virgil shook his head. “You know, you may have all the others fooled, but I can still see right through you. You’re going to betray them the second it’s convenient for you.” “I’m different. I’ve changed. You can trust me.” “Oh, I believe you think you’ve changed. I believe we can trust you for now. But in a week? A month? You’ll ditch us the moment it’s convenient.” “Oh, like you ditched us?” Virgil didn’t bother to respond. Janus sat up, and looked him in the eyes. “Tell me, how is that any different? Because you decided to be a good guy? Because you renounced your evil ways? That’s all we are isn’t it? Evil? We’re the villains of the story after all.” Virgil didn’t know how to respond. “That’s all we’ll ever be to you light sides. But as hard as you try, you’ll never be able to escape your past. You’ll always be a dark side. Face it. You never left. You just pretended you had a new family. And you abandoned them the minute it was convenient for you.” Virgil opened his mouth to protest, but for once was at a loss for words. Janus was right. He should have gone after Logan, or looked for a way to fix Patton. Instead he had just sat by and twiddled his thumbs. Janus stretched out and pulled his hat over his eyes. “I don’t need anything from a traitor like you. And you’ve made it clear you don’t want anything from me.” The words stung, but he refused to back down. He had come to warn Janus. If the snake didn’t want to be saved, then it was his own fault. But he had to at least try. “I need-” “Get out.” “But-” “Get out. You’re a light side now.” He spat out the word. “Your kind aren’t welcome here.” “Janus-” “I said get out!” he hissed. Virgil took a step back, but steeled his nerves. He wasn’t going to lose anyone else. “I’m trying to save you, damn it!” “Oh yeah? And what could I possibly need saving from? Someone else stabbing me in the back? Not everyone’s like you, you know.” “I’m trying to save you from Romulus!” “He already ‘spared’ me. What else could he possibly do?” “He changed his mind. He still wants his revenge.” “What can he possibly do to me.? I still have all of my powers.” Virgil wanted to smack him. How did he not get how serious this was? “He has full control of the mindscape! He could wipe you out with a single thought.” “Well he hasn’t yet. I think I’m good.” He glanced at Virgil. “Why do you care anyways?” “Because I’m not going to just sit by and lose the last person I care about!” Virgil yelled. He clapped his hands over his mouth. He couldn’t believe he had just said that out loud. To Janus. “You actually care about me?” Janus did his best to hide his expression and dismiss the words, but Virgil could see him trying to process it. “Sure, I’ll believe it when I see it.” Virgil sighed, and sat down on the armchair. “I do care, Janus. I just don’t want to admit it. That’s why leaving you and Remus was one of the hardest things I ever did. Because you guys felt like my family. But I know you never cared about me.” He buried his face in his hands. “I hated leaving, but I thought maybe if I got in with the light sides, even if they hated me, I could at least know that everything they said was the truth.” Slowly Janus sat up. “I did care about you, Virgil. I just didn’t know how to tell you. And I saw how happy you were with the light sides, and I wanted to give you that more than anything, but I didn’t know how. That’s why it destroyed me when you left. Because I knew it was my fault. And I didn’t know how to fix it.” “So you lashed out instead.” They sat in silence for a moment. “I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time. “I should have tried harder,” Janus said. “And I should have given you a second chance,” Virgil responded. They smiled tentatively. “What a touching reunion. I hate to break it up.” The two leapt to their feet and spun around to find Romulus lounging in the doorway. “Leave,” Virgil said. “You’re not welcome here anymore.” “That sounds an awful lot like treason. Or did you forget that I’m your king? You don’t order me around, Paranoia.” Janus held him back before he could lunge at the king. “Not worth it, Virge.” “I’m not Paranoia anymore,” Virgil growled. “Right, you’re something stupid like Anxiety.” Romulus waved his hand in dismissal. “You really should have stuck with the Dark Sides. I liked you better when you were quiet.” “I am not a Dark Side anymore.” “If you insist,” Romulus said with a wave of his hand. “But you’re certainly still a traitor.” “What are you talking about?” “I am your king. You have chosen to side with the enemy.” “I never agreed to be your dumb servant thing. Besides, I didn’t have a choice. I’m not a traitor.” “Oh, but you are, Virgil. Besides, you led me to Janus.” Virgil whirled around, and for the first time realized that Romulus must have followed him. He kicked himself. He should have been more careful. In his rush to warn Janus about the impending doom, he had led it straight to the snake’s door.


	8. Showdown, Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Romulus now determined to take his revenge on Janus, things begin to take a turn for the worse.

Romulus drew his sword, and Janus stepped back slightly. He had seen what that sword had done to Remy. He needed a way out of this. He did what he always did when his back was to the wall. He started talking. “How did you know Vigil was going to come warn me?” “If his plan didn’t work, I knew he would come groveling to you nex.” “I didn’t come groveling,” Virgil muttered under his breath, hands still clenched into fists. Romulus turned to Virgil. “What plan?” Janus said quickly. He had to keep the king’s focus off of Virgil. The younger side had never really had to deal with Romulus. He had no idea how dangerous The King was. “He thought he could talk to Roman like a sappy idiot. He came all pleading and vulnerable. It was pathetic.” Virgil looked like a kicked puppy. Even if it wasn’t Roman saying it, the words still had to sting. Janus tried not to be jealous. Virgil had never cared that much about his opinion. “What did you mean if his plan didn’t work? It sounds like you weren't entirely sure how you’d react to his speech.” Virgil’s eyes widened, as he realized what Janus was implying. “You’re not totally in control.” “That is not true!” Romulus snapped. Virgil smirked, and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, Roman’s fighting you isn’t he? I knew he was still in there. He’d never let someone like you go free for long.” Romulus’s grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. “That is not true. Roman doesn’t exist anymore. I am The King!” “If you’re really so in control, why is this freaking you out? You’re the all powerful king. Why should one little sentence scare you so much?” Virgil smiled, thinking he’d won, but Janus could see Romulus’s face better than Virgil could. The King was furious. And that made him dangerous. “Stop provoking him,” Janus pleaded silently. “He’ll kill you.” But Virgil kept at it. “You know, I’m just quiet little Anxiety. There’s no reason you would be scared of me unless I guessed right.” His brow furrowed with determination. “Come on Roman. Fight.”  
Romulus’s shoulders relaxed, and he smiled at Virgil. Virgil let go of the breath he had been holding. “Roman, thank God.” Romulus lunged at him, and swung his sword. Virgil barely managed to move back in time. “Whoa! Roman, what was that for?!” “I told you. Roman doesn’t exist anymore.” Romulus pulled back for another swing, but Virgil punched him in the face before he got the chance. “Sorry, Ro.” He scrambled back. “What do we do?” he whispered to Janus as Romulus recovered. “We need to separate them.” “How do we do that?” “How should I know. Patton was the one who separated them last time.” “Great.” His mind began to race as he tried to come up with a way to separate the two sides. Softly, the whispers started up around him once again. Romulus adjusted his cape, and raised his sword once more. “I don’t care if I had a soft spot for you in the past. You will pay for that you imputent wretch.” “Oh, sick burn, you know, for the middle ages.” Romulus sneered and brought his sword down. Ducked to the side, and willed the whispers to get louder. Romulus didn’t notice, but Janus did. His mouth dropped open, and Virgil took a moment to appreciate the look of shock on his face. “You can’t be serious,” Janus muttered. Virgil grinned as Romulus lunged at him once again. Virgil stepped back, and willed the shadows around his feet to get bigger. They reared up, and Romulus found himself blocked by a wall of inky darkness. Vigil yanked Janus back, and the two crouched down. “We need a plan,” Virgil said. “I agree. We need to find a way to get that sword from him. It’s the only thing that will be able to take care of him.” Virgil stared at him confused before Janus’ plan registered. “No! No, we are not killing him! Roman is still in there somewhere. He is fighting back! I’m not going to let you kill him!” “Well then what do you propose? We have no way of separating them, and it seems like he’s pretty ok with getting rid of us!” “We need to talk him down. I got through to Roman, back when I made that stupid speech. We just need to do it again.” “Sure, but how do we do that?” Virgil glanced at him sideways. “You need to apologize.” Janus reeled back. “You need to apologize,” Anxiety repeated. “You said some really awful things to him after the wedding.” He noticed Janus’ confused expression. “Logan told me.” “I am not apologizing to an ogre like him.” “Look, he said some nasty things to you too. And I’m not saying I agree with what he did, but right now, our priority is trying not to get stabbed! Swallow your pride, and apologize to him.” Janus’ shoulders slumped, and he nodded. “Alright. I’ll apologize to him. There’s no point in trying to fit in with the light sides if I don’t act like one.” Virgil smirked. “Well, what do you know, you’re smarter than you look.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for the late upload guys. I've just kind of lost motivation for this story I guess. I'll do my best to finish it, but don't expect it any time soon.

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. Excited to see where this goes. Check out the original comic, or CrimsonShadowVA's dub. It's seriously amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XDLe28gwcU. Love you all!


End file.
